


Maps

by Courier_Aphra



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: The Wrath of Darth Maul - Ryder Windham
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Healing, Pain Train, Slow Burn, choo choo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-01 11:12:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13293624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courier_Aphra/pseuds/Courier_Aphra
Summary: Queen Amidala finds Darth Maul's bisected body in the Theed's Royal Gardens and resolves to bring him to justice for his crimes. However, she finds herself in over her head when the former Sith Lord remembers nothing of his master and a new plot on her life is discovered.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Padmé will be aged to 18, which was Portman's actual age at time of filming and I will be using canon lore except when it comes to Maul's past. For Maul I will be using, "The Wrath of Darth Maul," book by Ryder Windham simply due to the lack background canon provides.

 At night she was no longer the queen of Naboo, she was a free woman and ruler of only her own life alone. Gone was the name, “Amidala,” even if was only for a few hours; Once the sun was set, she was simply Padmé and it was when she was happiest as of late. The day the Viceroy and the blockade had been taken care of by the Jedi, her dear Qui-Gon Jinn’s funeral pyre was that very night and while she did not show it, as it would not have been the queenly thing to do, his death had taken its toll on her. The victory parade between the Gungans and Naboo would take that following morning, leaving her no time to reflect on his passing. Qui-gun had become like a surrogate father of sorts, especially since becoming queen, Padmé saw her own family far too rarely for her liking. Her duties to Naboo had taken up all her time, and while she was honored to bear them, she was somewhat ashamed to admit that her brief period with Qui-Gon made her feel like what she imagined all other 18-year old’s felt; Young, bold, and safe under his watchful eye. Now that night had fallen, and the festivities were starting to fade, her mind could finally contemplate on the events of the past 48 hours.

As soon as she had seen off both Obi-Wan and little Anakin, which had been earlier that very afternoon, The Queen had excused herself from the celebrations finding that sleep would be far more appealing that any feasts or parties.  Luckily, her councilors were most understanding and seemed more than happy to let their young leader regain herself.

The moment she entered her private baths attached to her chambers, Padmé had unceremoniously stripped herself of both her royal robes and cosmetics and spent the better part of an hour soaking in a steaming jasmine oil bath. She’d even dismissed her handmaids from her service telling them to enjoy the merriments which they hesitantly obliged. Although, truth be told, the Queen was sure that just about anything else would be more interesting than watching her float in her private baths. She had returned to her empty chambers with her skin both pink and steaming thanking the Gods for her rare moment of solidarity before letting her exhaustion catch up to her and fell to sleep.

By the time Padmé awoke from her nap the sky was already a deep shade of indigo and speckled with distant pinpricks of stars. It was then she had decided to take advantage of one of those unaccompanied times to walk through the renowned Naboo Royal Gardens. Forsaking the hefty crimson robes and heavily bejeweled gowns that littered her wardrobe the Queen instead donned an ivory knee-high lace slip embroidered with tiny mother of pearls on the intricate bodice and a lapis colored open kimono which was embellished with several of Naboo’s native cranes at the bottom. A simple pair of dark soft leather sandals adorned her feet while her dark hair was let loose down her back in its lazy curls that bounced just above her waist. While Padmé did not look like the traditional queen of Naboo, she did look royal in her own right. 

The gardens were in full bloom in the early summer with night lilac and roses in full bloom intoxicating the air with their scent. With the pink petals of cherry blossom trees dancing in the gentle breeze, cloud like bushes every color of peony, lotus filled fountains, honeysuckle adorned palace walls, and daffodil lined paths were as sirens beckoning Padmé to forget herself for a moment and run through their beauty which is exactly what the young queen did. Several security droids rattled but she took no notice.  For the first time in what seemed to be ages, she caught herself laughing and merely enjoying the simplicity of the manicured bit of nature and beauty that surrounded her. Constant access to the Royal Gardens was one of the perks she would miss once her term was up.

“Unless I decide to run again,” She whispered to herself as she sat alongside one of the tall and ornate four-tiered fountains that was sprinkled across the gardens. “Is that something I can think of now? I’m only 4 months into my first term and so much has happened.”  Padmé’s slender fingers reached out to touch one of the many lily pads growing in the fountain’s basin.

“ _You’ll do whatever it is Naboo needs you to do.”_ Her inner voice of duty rebuked making the young woman’s brow furrow. She would always give herself to her planet and to the Republic, she could only hope to serve it as best as it deserved.

“ _I wonder if Qui-Gon ever had moments of doubt? He always seemed so sure of everything, even when it came to Ani’s becoming a Jedi in front of a council trying to fight him, never once did he show reservation.”_

Again, Padmé let her mind wonder finding that her thoughts brought her to when she was at Sheev Palpatine’s side before the Galactic Senate placing a vote of No Confidence towards Chancellor Valorum. She should have been nervous… she should have at least been the least bit anxious, but no… instead she had felt… he. Before the Senate, she had felt like the tallest person in the auditorium, that she was untouchable and that she could not make the changes that she _wanted_ per say but what was _needed_ for the good of Naboo. Senator Palpatine was now Chancellor Palpatine, who surely would look out for the Republic first and foremost, unlike his predecessor, and the Queen could not help the smile crept on her full lips. Everything was going to change now and if The Force willed it, as the Jedi believed it did, then the changes would be for good.

Rising from her spot with a slight sigh, the young woman continued her stroll along the stone garden path, letting the fragrant flowers and sounds of gurgling fountains clear her mind. There was a small breeze in the warm air enveloping her in the floral air when she was unexpectedly swathed in a strong metallic tang triggering her to gag.

It was one scent she couldn’t forget; The smell of blood.

Padmé had become far too accustomed to that odor in the past week and it would be too soon if she’d never smelled it again. Instinctively her hand went over her nose, but the combination of her jasmine perfume and the blood only made her stomach twist and threaten her with a good retching if she continued to do so.

 _“Someone may be hurt Padmé. You need to push through this silliness and help them!”_  The rational side of her chided her pushing the Queen deeper into the garden. Padmé hurried into a sprint following the smell that to her disbelief grew exponentially stronger with each step she took.

“Hello? Is someone there? Can you hear me?” She called out now becoming flushed with the adrenaline that pulsed through her veins. Padmé’s heart pounded painfully in her throat as her brown eyes searched the dark for any sign of life. Curiously, she couldn’t help but notice that none of the security droids she seemed to come, but the thought was quickly pushed aside when the stench became strong enough to stagger the Queen bringing her to her knees and triggering her to empty the contents of her belly.

The scent was more than just simply blood; It was also reminiscent of an unkept sewer and raw meat. Padmé had personally attended to helping to gather the dead in the recent battle and knew the smell of blood, sweat and urine all too well. This surpassed it to nothing she could even begin to describe.

“Oh _kriff_ ….” She swore scrunching up her long kimono sleeves to her face in a vain attempt to combat the miasma. “ _What is this?”_ Gathering her strength to pick herself up off her scraped knees, Padmé looked up, taking notice that she had reached the end of the garden and faced a palace wall swathed in ivy. Here is where the stench was at its strongest and had she not just thrown up, Padmé knew she would have heaved again.  As her head began to spin, she heard a rasping groan causing her to leap back.

“Who’s there?!” She called out again as her eyes searched among the dimly lit shrubberies and trees desperate for any sign of movement. “I want to help you, please, tell me where you are!” Again, the growl resounded, but this time luck was on the Queen’s side and she was able to pinpoint the location to a nearby fully bloomed weeping willow just off the path. With her head buzzing, she pushed back the curtain of heavy branches still queasy from the heavy mix of the stench of gore and adrenaline that swam through her veins until she finally came upon the source.

Lying face down in the soft Naboo grass was an outstretched body, the top half precisely, at the base of the willow trunk. Traces of black fabric and entrails reached out from the body, leaving a crimson and brown trail that as morbid as the sight was reminded the young woman of a slime tracks Hutts so often left behind. The figure showed no sign of movement, even as Padmé came rushing to kneel the creature’s side.

“Kriff!” She swore again, hesitating to reach out for fear of doing any further harm.  The body rumbled again, although much quieter than before advising her that whoever it was seemed to be fading fast.   “I am Queen Amidala. I promise I am going to help you just please-”

Time itself appeared to come to an abrupt stand still for Padmé when she cautiously turned the heavy body over before instantly recognizing the creature.

“You!” She huffed pushing herself back and landing on her rear. Although Padmé had only caught a brief glimpse of the red and black tattooed horned monster that had caused so much anguish for her people and the death of Qui-Gon, the Sith Lord’s appearance would forever be etched in her memories. The Queen had only heard his name once from Obi-Wan’s in whispers to Yoda at the late Jedi’s funeral; Maul. Darth Maul.

“How?” Padmé wondered aloud once again picking herself off the ground for the second time. To her shock Maul started to emit a garbled growl as he began to twitch his head in what she assumed was an effort to pick it up.

“K-K…” The Zabrak crooned just loud enough for Padmé to see that there was still some sentient function in him.

“Yes, I’m the Queen.” She replied against her own better judgment in her official regal tone. Maul seemed to pay her no attention, his eyes sealed and breathing became shallower with each passing second.

“K… Kenobi.” Horror washed over the Queen as the Sith Lord seemingly slipped into unconsciousness in a pool of his own blood and intestines.

Heat blossomed furiously in her olive cheeks as her eyes narrowed down at the broken creature. He was at her mercy and justice has not been served as previously thought. Closing her dark eyes, as brief as it was, Padmé could see every face of every man and woman had fallen in defense of Naboo against this… creature. It would take the simple action of inaction to see that their deaths would be avenged.  This thing showed no regard for their souls, just for his own selfish revenge. She wanted him to pay… to suffer as she had, to feel the pain Naboo had felt!

“No,” She whispered as her initial fury began to weaken.  Gazing at the broken Sith the young woman felt a new emotion take seed in her; Pity. No one had come looking for Maul and by the evidence in front of her, no one seemed to care. Whoever had held his leash cared not that his pet was broken on a foreign planet. He was a creature with nothing but hatred in his heart during his probable final breaths. If death was to be the Sith’s fate, it would be by true justice, not at her hands. Hesitantly Padmé outstretched her hand, taking great care to keep it steady, and placed it on the Zabrak’s shoulder.

“Stay with me, Lord Maul,” She said in her regal severe tone, “Help is coming.”


	2. Chapter 2

_“Far above, far above; We don’t know where we’ll fall."_

The droid inserted another lengthy needle into Maul's forearm. He could feel the needle squirm in his vein as is deposited its warm fluid into his body feeling not at all concerned with the discomfort it caused its charge.  He only freshly turned 4 but still the boy knew that whatever concoction was invading his body was not to his benefit in the slightest. Still, even if he had not been strapped down to Deenine's exam table, he would have bared the pain as he had been taught.

_"Far above, far above; What once was great is rendered small.”_

The droid's five vermillion photoreceptors glared blankly at the boy as it pushed the needle forward so its tip rested somewhere in Maul's shoulder. Pain racked through the boy, but he refused to put his weakness on display by crying. Crying never helped, quite the opposite in fact, when it came to his mechanical caretaker.  The droid was made of a lustrous black metal, barrel bodied in the torso with four pincered limbs which tapered down to a swivel hinged pelvis where six spider-like legs were attached.

"He is in pain." A soft voice echoed as the child watched another elongated needle materialize in the droid's pincers.

"Pain is what his nerves need," The droid's electronic voice replied via his mesh vocabulator, "He can't feel it, not in this state."

"Do it then." The stranger answered. The boy could not help but detect traces of sadness in the voice.

" _I can feel it!"_ Maul wanted to shout as two of the droid's pincers clamped down on his protruding ribs before thinking better of it. Every moment of pain was a lesson his Master had told him many times before. The boy flushed with shame at his tiny body. He hated it. He hated the droid. He hated everything. The needle was plunged into his torso right below his ribs with such force that he couldn't help but cry out.

“ _Far above, far above; We don’t know where we’ll fall."_

The boy's yellow eyes looked up to the droid, but found it was no longer the machine that held the needle, but it was his Master.

“To live without leaving a mark is a terrible thing. To die forgotten is even worse." Master Sidious's grin reached both his ears as another needle entered Maul's body.

"I do not wish to do any further damage to him. Your hands would be more adept."  

The mysterious voice echoed and again the boy could sense the same sadness as before. Master Sidious cackled as his dark hooded form started to expand and soon the Sith enwrapped the restrained child in a cloak of darkness.

"Stupid boy. A lifetime of opportunity and privilege granted to you and you choose to waste both that and my time."

 Anger flooded Maul's body as he attempted to lash out at his Master, but he found himself paralyzed. The Zabrak growled furiously arching his head back and trying to will his body to make any sort of movement. When Maul looked back up to his Master’s face, he was gone. This time the person before him none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The young Jedi towered over Maul, who was now perched up on a metal floor that was polished to a mirror finish.

 " _Far above, far above; What once was great is rendered small."_

_"_ Well hello there! Time really has made you a lesser person hasn't it?" The Jedi's cool gray eyes glittered as laughter rang in his voice. Maul again attempted to lash out, but found all he could do was rock his upper body forward and fell face first onto Kenobi's feet. The Jedi's laughter was deafening as Maul attempted to pick himself up. He was hardly able to move his arms and his legs were still immobilized.

"I must say you really are half the man that you used to be!' The Jedi's laughter seemed to multiply and when Maul was able to lift his head up from Kenobi's feet he saw that his enemy was kneeling at face level. The Jedi's lips curved into a playful smirk as he pointed down to the floor.  "Don't be upset now, it could have been worse. You could have stayed on Dathomir and the Nightsisters could have used you for breeding…like cattle! Can you imagine it? More trash like you littering the galaxy?"

 A thick hollow tube the length of Obi-Wan's arm materialize in his hand and before Maul could react the bottom of the Jedi's boot met with his face and pushed him onto his back.

"Fight me!" Maul howled still struggling to move. "I will destroy you, Jedi!"

"Destroy me?" Kenobi chuckled as he stood over the struggling Sith before giving his side a strong kick. "How? You don't even have a bottom half!"

Maul finally managed to pick his head up and see that what the Jedi said was indeed true. From his navel down, his body was missing, and his entrails were spilling out onto the floor.

It was starting to come back to him; He was no longer a boy of four, but a 23-year-old man who had already earned the title of "Darth," after years of training. Deenine had been destroyed more than a decade ago, and he had failed Sidious by losing to Kenobi, who was only a Padawan no less. Obi-Wan moved to where Maul’s legs should have been and looked down at the open torso with his boyish grin still ablaze and the thick tube in hand.

“You know… this is really going to hurt.” The Jedi said before thrusting the long tube deep into Maul’s innards. The Sith was engulfed in a blinding light as a pain he had never known before, except maybe by his Master’s lightening, delved into every bit of his body tearing away at his flesh like a starving rancor on its prey. He wanted mercy… he wanted to die. His ears pounded, and his mouth struggled for air as he felt his body fall away into what felt like a rushing river. He squeezed his eyes shut for what he hoped would be the final time. There was no one; No Kenobi, no Master, and maybe not even himself.

“Maul… stay with me. Hang on.” The stranger’s voice appeared once again, faint over the sound of the roaring water, yet determined. It was a woman’s voice from what he could finally tell which only confused the Zabrak even further.  Save for the _very_ small number he had shared a bed with for a handful of single nights years ago, Maul did not know any women, let alone one that would care for his well-being.

“… Maul… think... wake up.” The woman whispered, her voice becoming clearer and yet somehow quieter at the same time.  Curiosity had finally gotten the better of Maul and slowly, the Sith allowed his yellow eyes to open.  

Light surrounded him, but it was soft and dimmed by the water surrounding him. He was weightless and yet felt heavier than the largest of the Hutts. The sound of a bubbler and the lax buzzing of electronics was the new melody that sang to him instead of that of his Master’s or Kenobi’s taunting.  There was no pain anymore, just a simple euphoria that he could feel swim its way through his veins and into his brain. He was dying, he was sure of it.

“Lord Maul.” The woman whispered again, pulling the Sith’s eyes down to her. Maul felt his heart nearly stopped when he saw her. He’d never seen this woman before and the fact that death would take him before he could see her again almost conjured up the far-off feeling of regret. A Sith, however, a Sith would never have regrets, only power. 

She was a tiny creature, petite yet shapely in her figure, which Maul was able to make out quite a bit off since the small white slip she wore was clearly soaked and stained with crimson stripes. Her dark hair was a mess of loose curls that stopped just short of her slight waist and her young oval face wore a worried expression which caused her brows to furrow together. The tips of her fingers rested on her lips, which made her look like she was at prayer.  She was familiar yet strange simultaneously.  The young woman stepped closer to Maul reaching her free hand out until it stopped in midair.

“ _Glass,”_ Thought Maul as an abrupt feeling of sobriety came over him, “ _I’m in a bacta tank.”_   The reality of the situation was dawning on him as his eyes started to dart around his surroundings. Besides realizing he was wholly nude, the first thing he took notice of what his obvious lack of a lower body. The dark lord of the Sith was now a freak floating in a glorified fish tank. Even if he could gather the strength, it would take more Force than he could currently muster to survive outside the tank. It was a risk he would have to take.

“Your Highness, please back up,” Another stranger’s voice muffled, this one distinctly male.

_“Highness? What is this?”_  Maul’s mind raced as his eyes darted back uncontrollably not even taking notice that a large web shaped crack appeared in the glass when his fists hit the tank.

“It’s alright, just relax.” The male’s voice cooed from behind sending the Sith even more on edge.    

“Will… okay? Cracks… leak….” The woman’s voice was once again becoming muffled under the sounds of the machinery and the bubbler and Maul felt his limbs become too heavy for him to even think to lift.

“… Needs to… coma… legs... life.” The male’s voice was hardly above a whisper to the Zabrak as his vision was starting to fade. He knew that he was being drugged and to tried and fight it. However, with open wounds like his any sort of fight was going to be a losing one.  Fury flashed though his body and Maul felt like a hunted animal trapped in a burning thicket. His eyes once again found the young woman. She had reproached and stood close enough that he was able to make her breath on the glass.

 He wanted to destroy her, to rip her into as many pieces as he could and stuff her in the tank until the remains rotted away. It was her fault he was here, somehow, he could sense it and even if it ended up killing him, he would have his revenge on both Kenobi AND her if it was the last thing he did. Maul meditated on these thoughts as blackness took him.

 

o.O.o

After Padmé had gotten hold of a security droid and lead it to the bisected Sith Lord much of what happened after was a blur.  She remembered explicitly ordering them several times that discretion was paramount, to be silent as to not disturb anyone in the palace, and lastly for a message to be sent to her personal physician, Dalen Vizsla, to meet her in the palace hanger which would offer privacy due to the debris that still littered the area. It would take no less than three droids to carry Maul with enough care to the hanger. The Sith was so still and ridged that at one-point Padmé was sure he must have passed on until she heard him groan rather loudly when one of the droids had shifted. 

“I must say, Your Highness, your droids need to update in manners, especially when it comes to waking me up at 2 in the morning.” Dalen Vizsla rubbed his sleep encrusted blue eyes as he was escorted in.

Dalen Vizsla was someone no one would have ever suspected to be a doctor, let alone one as brilliant and groundbreaking as he was. In his early 30’s, the Doctor was an immigrant from Mandalore and reminded Padmé of grizzled bearsloth. Tall, burly, and heavily scarred within every inch of his body from both battles and time, Dalen would rarely say anything that wasn’t peppered with sarcasm. However, his brilliance allowed such belligerency. No one could claim he wasn’t worth of being the Royal physician or genuinely caring for those in his charge, but his bedside manner was known to leave much to be desired.

“I do apologize for any discomfort, Doctor, but I have a patient in urgent need of your care.” Padmé explained motioning for the droids that carried Maul. Shock crossed Dalen’s weary face, his mouth dropping slightly. For once the brash Doctor seemed to be at a loss for words.  “Discretion is of the utmost importance in this matter if proper justice is to be administered to this man.”

“Justice?” Dalen responded snapping out of his daze and rushing over to the Zabrak checking for a pulse. “My Lady this man has been cut in half! I can’t imagine what he’s done that this isn’t punishment enough.”

Padmé looked passed both Maul and Dalen shaking her head. She did not want to press her luck any farther with both Maul’s life slipping from him and the chance of being discovered still being a possibility.

“I will tell you after you whatever you’d like after you have saved his life. You will forgive the secrecy sir, but what I need from you now is to do your duty.”  A pinched expression now crossed the scared face as he assessed his new patient clearly as surprised as the Queen was at his survival.

“I took an oath when I lived on Mandalore to bring no harm and to help anyone brought before me to the best of my ability. I will do what I can for this man, Your Highness. I will not, however, save him only so you may execute him or bring him any abuse with my medicine.”  This time Padmé looked directly to Dalen, a distant but satisfied smile shadowing her face.

“And this is exactly why you have my utmost confidence.” She said. The Doctor let out a long sigh, taking one last look at Maul before nodding in clear resignation.

“I left Deathwatch for peace,” He murmured under his breath just low enough that the Queen could not properly make him out. “Droids, Vizsla-Theed 2-1-3-20-1.”  The Droids carrying Maul stiffened at the order began to carry him back towards the gardens. Just as Padmé started to open her mouth to protest, Dalen motioned her to follow the droids.

 “Your Majesty, do you know of your predecessor, King Veruna’s medical chamber? He had it built the same time as he did library tower before his final term.” When Padmé shook her head, Dalen simply shrugged.

“Very few ever did and to be fair, I think I may be the only person who knows about it now after the invasion. As you know Veruna had a rather nasty and paranoid streak and thought that at any moment those closest to him would kill him or that the people would stage an uprising. Funny that he ended up dying in his sleep.”

“That is hardly something one should find funny.” Padmé retorted pressing her lips together into a thin line. Dalen ignored her comment and continued to follow the droids thankful that if there was anyone were awake in the palace, they would be staying away from the gardens and consequently and the Queen’s chambers because of the late hour.

“Where is this chamber, Doctor?” She asked when she saw they were approaching her private quarters.  “Will it have everything he needs?”  Her eyes shifted back to Maul, who somehow was still clinging to life. “ _No person can have survived this long, naturally. Perhaps it is the Force keeping him alive.”_

“You’ve been sleeping on it, Your Highness.” The Doctor answered following the droids into The Queen’s private chambers.

The Queen’s chambers were baronial, decorated with opulent lounging couches that were adorned with large jewel toned pillows. The eastern wall had several floor to ceiling stained glass windows that were left open during the summer and overlooked both the gardens and waterfalls that surrounded the palace.  Often Padmé would rise with the sun that they let in. Deep scarlet and gold trimmed velvet banners hung from the high ceiling embroidered with the crest of the Naboo and several symbols of various prayers of protection and wisdom. The jewel of the room, however, was her great four poster bed made with dark wood and with intricate vines and floral designs carved on the posts.  The bed was veiled in a cream and purple gossamer fabric that danced in in the gentle summer breeze. A large fireplace on the western wall was made from polished marble and embossed with golden filigree, would effortlessly heat up the entire room once the colder months hit. Padmé’s personal tastes were much simpler. However, while she was Queen the room would serve for her personal hours and for any private meetings. She’d assumed that she knew all the secret rooms and passages of the palace, but she knew she was about to be proved wrong.

“Queen Amidala, if you please.” Dalen motioned her over to the fireplace and pointed to the intricate design of gold on the hearth. Padmé would instantly recognize it as a map of Theed Palace and the five rivers surrounding it. She was unsure why she had never noticed it before, but blamed on the recent invasion having eaten up most of her time. “If you trace the rivers in the direction they flow, it will open up Veruna’s chamber. Currently it is set to open only for myself and Veruna. We will remedy that once we get inside."

Padmé watched as his skillful fingers trace along the golden rivers before turning her attentions back to Maul and felt a heaviness in her heart. She pitied his injuries, but most of all she pitied that no one had come back for him. His master had left him for dead and clearly found him to be disposable.

" _No creature is a tool be thrown away."_ She thought before the sounds of air valves releasing and gears turning snapped her back into reality.  The magnificent bed and the marble floor surrounding it started to lift revealing a set of metal stairs that descended further into the ground. Dalen, as usual, was unfazed by this and nonchalantly strolled down the stairs beckoning the Queen to follow.

Former King Veruna’s medical chamber uniqueness was only that it was hidden. Besides that, it was the same as any medical bay one would find on a basic starship. The chamber was made of a gray metal polished to a near mirror like finish and surprisingly well lit. Most of the bright light came from the center of the room where a full-length cylindrical bacta tank sat full of the watery liquid. A large assortment of tubes, syringes, masks, and vials of what Padmé assumed were filled with medicines adorned the gray walls along with various other pieces of medical equipment and computers that she couldn't properly discern besides an operating table and sanitizing fresher sink.

"Put him there," Dalen ordered the droids pointing to a steel table against the farthest wall, "Then you may leave."  The three droids did as they were bid, raising a question in Padmé.

"Won't you need them to help you?" She asked carefully approaching Maul still not daring to touch him.  To her surprise, the Doctor shook his head and rolled up his sleeves.

"Nope. Damn things don't know an asshole from an elbow sometimes. Can't tell you about how many times when I was on Mandalore I saw the rough handling from a droid kill a patient."  Padmé wasn't sure if she actually believed him as she had known too many droids that saved countless lives, but she knew that it wasn't the time to argue.  "It's going to be you and me on this one Your Highness. You'll want to get your hands sanitized. "

"W-What?" The Queen stammered in a rather unregal tone, "That would not be wise Doctor Vizsla."

"I'm good your Highness, but I'm not that good. It is going to take the both of us if this poor bastard has a chance. Just do what I say, and you and he will be fine." 

Padmé's dark eyes were once again drawn to Maul as Dalen placed a small plastic apparatus over his nose and mouth causing the Zabrak's to take much stronger breaths as compared to the occasional whimper and groans from when she had first found him. Except for the subtle fluctuations in his chest, he continued to be as still as a tomb. He reminded Padmé of a dried twig that has been stepped on too many times.  She considered for a moment what Dalen had said earlier; Perhaps getting cut in half was a rightful punishment.  That was until the memory of Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral pyre resurfaced, especially the way she saw little Ani's heart break. The boy had kept a stiff upper lip for Obi-Wan, but his young blue eyes betrayed his heart.

" _No, it is not enough."_ She resolved aware of the heaviness that was starting to weigh on her own heart. It was a sobering feeling to the young Queen as she reminded herself that she was not going to let herself be blinded by a misguided sense of revenge.

_"To be angry is to be human."_ Her mother had told her once during her childhood days when she and Sola would pick endlessly on each other. Padmé was far more sensitive in those days and there was hardly a time she didn't end up in tears from Sola's teasing.

"Fine." She grumbled giving in to what she knew was the right thing to do. Dalen started to pull out various instruments that he would need before switching on the bubbler for the bacta tank.

"Got to make sure it doesn't turn off," He murmured before grabbing a pair of silver scissors from a tray. "My Lady, cut the rest of his robe away. I need to check to make sure the tank doesn't turn off in the middle of the night and make sure that when I seal up that hole in him it won't be for nothing."

Without any further hesitation and a new sense of determination, the Queen took to task in cutting away the soft black fabric. She was, however, cautious in peeling the remainder of the clothing away as she was unsure if there were any more wounds that remained hidden. When she stripped away the last of the fabric however, she found that her breath had left her.

To her surprise, even Maul's chest was covered with the dark, intricate tattoos and she couldn't help but be fascinated. Her brown eyes wandered along the black lines in wonder not even noticing that her hand had reached out to trace them. Everything about him was solid and without trace of softness or weakness, even in his current state. The Sith obviously had taken great care of his body and the self-discipline he must have wielded was not lost on Padmé.

 

"Kriffing hell," She murmured, feeling her cheeks flush and stomach knot.  Luckily Dalen seemingly paid her no mind as he finished with the bacta tank.

 

"First things first, he's going to need a mild anesthetic." He said, grabbing a syringe from the tray before he began to look for a vein on Maul's arm.

"Mild?"

"Yes, Mild. He's lost a lot of blood and I don't want to stop his heart. How the damn thing is even still beating I have no idea so I'm not going to risk it."

Padmé would watch as the Doctor inserted the long needle into the Zabrak's arm finding herself rather fascinated with how immersed he was with his work. With seemingly no effort he then would place the mesh over Maul's wound, stapling and sealing it with hands that were almost too fast to keep focus on until it came to putting his organs back into his torso. At that, Dalen became still until Maul let out a deep groan and arched his back ever so slightly.

"His bottom half wasn't near him was it?" He asked, slipping another syringe into Maul's arm and abdomen.

"He's in pain." Padmé replied, ignoring his question. She bit down softly on her bottom lip shaking her head.  Suddenly her feelings of revenge felt far away; Seeing anyone in pain was not a sight she was sure she'd ever be comfortable with. Again, she would subconsciously reach out and place her hand on Maul's shoulder.  Dalen looked up from his work to his queen with a not so subtle smirk on his scarred lips.

"Well, that is certainly not a reaction I was expecting." This time Padmé glared at him in her most Queen like stare which surprisingly was enough for Dalen to not push any further. 

"Pain isn't a bad thing in this case, Your Highness. With what he's been through, Pain is what his nerves need. It means they are alive. Keep in mind as well that it may just be a spasm.  Maybe he can't feel it. Not in this state."

The young Queen could feel her brow wrinkle when she looked back to Maul. Pity had seemingly replaced the all of anger she had held.

_"For now,"_ She resolved as she removed her hand from the Sith.  "Very well," She said looking back up to Dalen, "Do it then."

With that, Dalen pushed the entrails into Maul's body with a firm yet somehow careful push. This time Maul emitted a guttural cry. His yellow eyes fluttered open and were both glazed and bloodshot. It was clear that he couldn't truly see the pair, but he seemed to be in some sort of delirium.

"Lady Amidala, he's going to need to be held down for this next injection. This strap isn't going to hold another thrashing," Dalen's voice was hardly above a whisper as if Maul would attack him if he heard the slightest noise.  "I can hold him...But that means you will have to give the shot. It is to prepare him for long term in the tank, so his muscles don't atrophy. I'll walk you through it." Padmé's mouth flew open at the suggestion and she furiously shook her head.

"I've never done this before Dalen or anything even close it. I do not wish to damage him any further. Your hands are more adept."  Her brows squeezed together as a grimace crawled across her young face.

"Trust me, I know," He chuckled before seriousness took back over, "But with all due respect, I can't risk him powering through you. This is going to go near his heart. If moves and I miss..." 

Although Maul had seemed to pass back out, Padmé knew that Dalen was right. She was strong, there was no denying that, but not strong enough that she'd bet the Sith's life on it. The Queen let out a dejected sigh before mentally questioning herself over how exactly she had gotten herself into this situation.

"All I wanted was a nap," She muttered under her breath before taking the last of the syringes that were on the tray. After a nod from Dalen, who got into position to hold him down, Padmé took several slow breaths and willed her hands to stop shaking. Luckily, hiding the signs of nervousness and discomfort was something she had trained herself well to do.

"Right here, My Lady." Dalen said marking a spot just right below Maul's clavicle with his nail. "Aim the needle and downward angle just be sure to keep your hand still. It is a delicate spot. Ready?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Padmé brought the needle down with the utmost precision that surprised even herself. The moment the needle entered Maul's skin, however, he began to jerk in his delirium just as his doctor has feared he would. Luckily Dalen seemed to have him well handled.

"Whatever is going on in his head, I'm glad I'm not there."  He grumbled when Maul started to grow still again. "We're almost done. The last thing I need to do is put a drainage tube in and get him in the bacta tank. After that it is just a matter of waiting."

Padmé leaned back against the bacta tank feeling her knees go weak. Her nerves had finally caught up to her. Resting her hand on her head and closing her dark eyes, she heard Dalen go on about sending the droids to find Maul’s bottom half but at the moment she couldn’t care less about anything but collecting herself.

“ _You need to better than this,”_ She told herself flinching as she heard the squelch from doctor insert the drainage tube into his patient. “ _Think of what the Gungans AND your security force had to go through. If they can have a stomach of steel with what they have seen, then so must you.”_ She repeated this to herself like a mantra until Dalen once again asked for her help with getting Maul into the bacta tank.

“Just speak to him while I get the tank lowered. Talking is good for the brain and we both know that whatever is going on in that head of his isn’t exactly festival of porgs and Twi'lek dancers.” Padmé would roll her eyes but did as she was bid. Keeping her hands firmly on the table this time and away from his chest, the Queen regarded the broken man when she felt her brow furrow together once again while her hands fidgeted. She didn’t want to say anything. Although, truth be told even if she did, she wasn’t entirely sure what would even be appropriate to say to the person that caused so much misery.

“Maul,” She finally whispered kneeling down beside him. Her throat was dry although her mouth watered with nervousness, “Maul…I need you to say with me. Just hang on. It won’t be much longer.”

 Once Dalen had made the final adjustments to the tank, the two lowered Maul into it the warm liquid with little difficulty. When the tank began to rise and envelop its patient, the realization of what they had accomplished under the circumstances finally came upon the two. The doctor let out a few hearty, but nervous, rounds of laughter and pulled himself onto a nearby chair. He let his head fall onto the edge of the steel table where Maul had been laying while Padmé simply sat crossed legged on the floor throwing Dalen a weary half smile.

“By the Force and whatever Gods maybe out there, may it never be said that you were a boring Queen.” He chuckled shaking his head. “I’ll set up a droid to clean the place up in the morning along with another to try and find the rest of this one here.”  

Padmé only nodded looking back to Maul. The bacta would speed up the healing process and take away whatever pain he was in. Strange as it was, knowing he would no longer be in any pain brought more relief than she cared to admit.

“This was Obi-Wan’s doing.” She said unknowingly out loud. “How did he even get into the gardens? Obi-Wan said that he had killed him in the generator complex.”

“I’ll have Malan and some of his men take a look at the complex and gardens tomorrow. Your droids weren’t too kind when they awoke us, and my husband isn’t a morning person but if I tell him it is important, he’ll understand.”

“I’ll let you decide what to tell him Dalen. This must be kept quiet until I can decide on the next step.”  A tired silence fell upon both of them as Padmé arose stretching. Any of the insomnia that she had was now long gone. She realized that her slip was soaked with bacta and blood from Maul and that there would be no saving it.  

“Oh well,” She murmured when a flash of movement caught her eye. Maul was now starting to writhe, and his head beginning to shake. “Dalen, I think Maul is starting to wake up.”

 There was panic in her voice as she started to approach the tank when Dalen sprang up. Padmé’s fingers ran to her mouth as she watched what was left of the Zabrak’s body flail in the bacta.

“Lord Maul.” Padmé said in a hushed tone in what seemed like an impractical effort to calm him down. Almost instantly, his yellow eyes sprang open and bore directly into her own. A chill ran through her body feeling as if ice swam through her veins instead of blood. He seemed to be trying to read her, but it was as if she was in a language he couldn’t just quite understand. Her feet, seeming to have ran away with her curiosity, pulled her closer to the tank when she reached out to touch the glass. She would not show fear to this creature, he hadn’t earned that right. Padmé watched as Maul tore his eyes from her and took in his surroundings, a look of realization dawning over him.

“Your Highness, please step back.” Dalen barked starting to key heatedly at the bacta’s control pattern from behind Maul. Upon hearing the Doctor’s voice, the Sith started to rapidly pound on the glass with enough strength to cause a web fracture. “It’s alright, just relax.” He said running his finger through his hair.

“Will he be okay?” Padmé asked keeping a calm and statuesque composure when the yellow eyes found her again.  “Will the cracks leak?” She watched as Maul’s eyes started to become heavier. Still, the Zabrak seemed to stare daggers into her very soul. She knew that look; He wanted to kill her.

“He’ll be fine, nothing a swift repair won’t fix. I put a sedative in the bacta. If he weren’t in the state he was in I would recommend a medical coma, but I’m not going to challenge the universe here. If we can find his legs in time, then with a little bionics we might be able to get everything reattached.” Dalen finally peeked his head around the tank, his face for once serious. “He owes you his life.”

Maul continued to gaze at Padmé with a hatred that the Queen was not sure had even existed until now.   His eyes reminded her of the sun in both their color and fire, but she refused to give him any sort of satisfaction of finding a weakness in her. Instead, she once again approached the tank and stared at him right back until his lids gradually closed.

“I doubt he will see it that way.” Padmé scoffed turning her back to the Sith. She had enough of him to last a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, baby steps so far but I promise that we are going to get some of the good stuff soon. This chapter was un-betaed and it has been a long day at work, so I do apologize for any errors on my part and hope you enjoy it.   
> I promise Maul won't be a glorified (albeit sexy) goldfish forever and that we are going to see some interactions between he and Padmé soon. Also, I never thought I would use the words "sexy" and "goldfish" together. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read so far and let me know what you think!


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